Breeders' Cup Extends Deal With Poker Pro

Breeders’ Cup said May 15 it will continue a partnership with professional poker play Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi that began in 2011.

Last year poker players attended the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and held the first Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Poker Invitational. This year Mizrachi, a World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour Champion, will take part in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and actively encourage his fellow poker pros to participate in the $10,000 handicapping event.

The World Championships will take place Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita Park in California.

Mizrachi will also headline The DeepStacks Poker Tour Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Invitational to be held later this year. The tournament could include trainers, jockeys, owners, and celebrities as well as poker pros.

“We have been pleased with our initial step into the poker world, and Michael has been a terrific advocate for us,” said Peter Rotundo, vice president of entertainment and media for Breeders’ Cup. “We look forward to year two of our working relationship, especially the Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Invitational and Betting Challenge.”